Carl Zeiss Pancolar 80mm 1.8

The Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm 1.8 Pancolar is a classic portraiture lens that was manufactured in East Germany. As a fast tele lens it is renowned for its’ outstanding bokeh and impressive sharpness. Since it was not that abundantly manufactured as its’ little brother the 50mm 1.8 Pancolar, the price for the 80mm Pancolar have steadily been increasing. Overall it is an outstanding lens. It balances sharpness and softness superbly. Definitely a joy to use.

Carl Zeiss Jena 80 1.8 Pancolar is an excellent portraiture lens

PROs:

excellent bokeh

very sharp, also in the corners

fast lens

solid metal construction

The 80mm Pancolar is a classic portraiture lens.

It is very sharp even when shot wide open. At f1.8 it can handle most available light shots. Its’ bokeh is really amazing. The image quality is superior to its predecessor, the Carl Zeiss Biometar 2.8 80mm. The focusing is very precise.

The all metal and glass construction really sets standards in terms of build quality. It is a joy to shoot with.

CONs:

expensive

hard to find

infinity focusing will not work on some cameras (happened to me on a Canon 5D MK II)

minimum focusing distance of 80 cm

When I shot the Carl Zeiss Pancolar 80mm 1.8 on my full frame Canon DSLR I had the mirror hitting the back of the lens when focusing to infinity. This can break your camera!! Obviously this is a big issue and if you are looking for an alternative I would recommend the Pentax Takumar 1.8 85mm. I don’t know if this happens with other camera brands. This is not an issue when you are shooting on a micro 4/3 camera.

The Pancolar 80mm 1.8 is also amongst the most expensive M42 lenses. Instead of getting the M42 version, you might want to consider getting the Prakticar 80mm 1.8 in PB mount.

Carl Zeiss Jena 80 1.8 Pancolar Versions

The 80mm Pancolar is both available as an electric and a standard non-electric version. It was manufactured with M42 mount and with Prakticar B mount (PB mount).The Prakticar B mount lens is often available at a lower price and actually has a shorter minimal focusing distance (60cm). All lenses are multi coated.